Galway Bay U17 Confirm Third Seed with Thrilling Win Over Sligo – 12th January 2025

Galway Bay U17 secured their position as the third seed of 16 with a hard-fought away victory against Sligo last Sunday. What was anticipated to be an evenly matched contest between seeds three and four delivered an intense battle, with both teams leaving everything on the pitch.

The match began with a brilliant start for Galway Bay, as captain J. Francis delivered a pinpoint long pass off the scrum to winger D. O’Conaire, who sprinted unopposed to touch down for the opening try. Sligo, however, responded swiftly, leveraging their larger forward pack to power over in the corner.

With a strong wind at his back, Galway Bay outhalf B. McDonnell used his kicking prowess to consistently pin Sligo deep in their own 22. This tactical advantage allowed Galway Bay to build momentum and execute well-worked tries, giving them the lead at the break.

Sligo came out firing in the second half, scoring a try just two minutes after the restart. With the wind now in their favour, the game promised a gruelling final 30 minutes. Galway Bay rose to the challenge with a monumental display of defensive effort, including relentless rucking, counter-rucking, turnovers, and tackles that thwarted Sligo’s best attempts to close the gap.

Both sides traded two tries apiece in a fiercely contested third quarter. As the clock ticked into the final 10 minutes, Galway Bay found another gear, scoring twice to seal a deserved victory.

The team celebrated their success with a refreshing swim in the chilly waters of Rosses Point before returning to Galway.

The cup draws will take place in the coming weeks, with the first U17 games scheduled for the weekend of February 15/16.

Galway Bay Squad:

L. McEvoy, D. O’Conaire, J. McDonnell, R. Harte, D. Curran,

C. Van den Bergh, A. Wjan, C. O’Connor, C. Ward, C. Wootton, L. Lydon, J. Francis (C), H. Healy, C. Dalton, K. O’Neill, C. Manion, D. Adekeye, T. Boland, L. Oliver, M. Berkey, J. Higgins, J. Carroll, D. Kennelly, T. Lydon, M. Manning, A. Domaracki, J. Siva.